ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — State Department of Transportation workers have cleared an area popular with vendors on the approaches to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge northwest of Taos.

The arts and crafts vendors won a [auth] court battle last year over the legality of sales along a public right-of-way approaching the well-known tourist attraction.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/vHVtQx ) that state workers on Friday put up concrete barriers blocking access to the pullouts vendors use.

A department news release announced the action was taken as the state began improvements on the east approaches to the gorge. The release said state law prohibits the vendors from operating on highway rights of way

A judge last year tossed out charges against vendors accused of misusing public property and ruled the law was unconstitutional.